By: RAYEES Masroor
Months of speculations came to an end when one of the most celebrated youth icons and also the 2010 IAS topper, Dr.Shah faesal, resigned from his job and stated that he was likely to join electoral politics. Social media is abuzz with the rumors that he is going to contest elections as a National Conference candidate from Baramulla parliamentary seat. There is no harm for him or any other civil servant to try luck in politics but one cannot brush aside a number of pertinent questions that deserve to be answered.
The reasons Dr Faesal cited for his resignation mandated him to join resistance movement or to form such a group or party that raises the issue of unabated killings and pressurize the power corridors in New Delhi to address the situation in Kashmir. Choosing a mainstream platform to question the unabated killings and the absence of any forward movement on Kashmir seems to be a cruel joke. How come you are joining the same bandwagon who are responsible for the current crisis and claiming to stop the bloodshed and the miseries of the masses, one may humbly ask.
It seems much like the reason that PC chairman Sajad lone cited while entering the mainstream politics, Mr Lone had then promised that once he will get elected he will raise the issue of Kashmir in Indian parliament and the rest is history. Interestingly, Mr. Lone had then contested from the same Baramulla Kupwara parliamentary seat and lost by a big margin. The question is that why in the first place did Dr Faesal undertook all these competitive exams and a prestigious institution like Harvard for education when he was destined to be a politician. His MBBS, civil services and foreign education did cost a huge amount which ultimately had to be borne by the common taxpayer. It would also send a wrong message across the board as his collogues and fellow bureaucrats would feel disheartened and discouraged.
Dr Faesal has been one of the most loved and celebrated youth icons, his social media posts would always get many thousand shares, likes and comments .For him choosing politics over civil service would definitely send a confusing message to thousands of young civil service aspirants who would often follow his footsteps. He has given rise to the discourse that if you want to serve your people, there is only one way and that is the electoral politics. It is also interesting to note that he, in a recent article that he co authored with Dr Mehboob Makhdoomi, had discussed the problems and prospects related to Kashmir issue .Besides many other things He had even advocated the right to self determination for the Kashmiris which now seems to be a strange paradox because the party he is going to join has already given it up.
There is no doubt that Kashmir dispute has been a huge political capital for so many leaders and parties across the board and Dr Faesal, with his very first social media post has made it amply clear that he may resort to same tactics as his mainstream co partners.
It would be harsh to criticize him for merely deciding his future but as has been the trend there are always some pertinent questions that people are always curious to know. Social media is abuzz with same questions and queries and especially young people are trying to find out as to what could have led a sophisticated official take such a decision.
(The writer is a columnist and Academic counselor IGNOU and can be reached at rayeesmasroor111@gmail.com )
